General

Why is China winning the electric-vehicle production race? Because it controls or dominates every step of the process of making EV batteries, according to The New York Times (subscription).

What’s going on: “Despite billions in Western investment, China is so far ahead—mining rare minerals, training engineers and building huge factories—that the rest of the world may take decades to catch up.”

• Rare minerals: China owns the majority of the cobalt mines in Congo—where most of the world’s supply of the metal sits—and it controls most of the world’s lithium mining.
• Refining: “Regardless of who mines the minerals, nearly everything is shipped to China to be refined into battery-grade materials.”
• Components: China produces more EV batteries than any other country, which it managed “partly by figuring out how to make battery components efficiently and at lower cost.”
• Final products: China boasts the most EVs on the road of any nation, and almost all of them use batteries made domestically.

Why it’s important: Now, eight years after the Chinese government instituted policies to bar foreign competitors from the EV market and increase consumer demand, “the Biden administration … [is] pursuing a similar strategy to foster battery development in the United States. But in a business with huge capital costs and thin profit margins, Chinese companies have a big head start after years of state funding and experience.”

Most people are satisfied with their jobs, according to a Washington Post–Ipsos poll about what workers want, The Washington Post (subscription) reports.

What’s going on: Following the pandemic and the Great Resignation, “about 8 in 10 workers are satisfied with their jobs, even as over 6 in 10 say work is stressful,” according to the survey of 1,148 workers ages 18 to 64.

• “While desire to work from home is a priority for some workers, pay, having a good boss or manager and other aspects of a job rank higher.”

Key takeaways: The poll had several notable findings, including the following:

• People prize remote work: Four in 10 respondents said their jobs can be done remotely. “Desire to work outside the office is high among remote-capable workers, with about 7 in 10 saying they’d choose to work from home “all of the time” (37 percent) or “most of the time” (35 percent).”
• Pay and bosses matter: “When asked to rank the most important factors in a job, 45 percent put pay in the top slot. Having a good boss comes in second, with 14 percent of workers ranking it as the most important.”
• The Gen Z difference: Gen Z and younger millennial workers prize promotion and advancement opportunities more highly than do their older counterparts.
• Friends at work: Some 55% of respondents said they have “close friendships” with coworkers.

The stress factor: “Stress varies sharply by age, with Gen Z workers the least likely to say their jobs are stressful (43 percent), compared to 61 percent of younger millennials 27-to-34 years old, 67 percent of 35-to-49-year-olds and 66 percent of workers 50-to-64 years old.”

The NAM is a meeting place like no other, where manufacturers of all sizes and sectors gather to make the industry stronger. Recently, along with its partner CONNEX Marketplace, it invited manufacturing leaders to D.C. for high-level discussions about supply chain challenges.

The big picture: This meeting came at an exciting time for CONNEX. Formerly known as Manufacturers Marketplace, the program pivoted in 2022 to combine state-specific installations with the national platform and become a more powerful SaaS.

• Connecticut launched its own version of the CONNEX platform back in February, thanks to the support of the CBIA (a state business association and NAM partner) and the state’s chief manufacturing officer, Paul Lavoie—who discussed some early success stories at the D.C. event.
• “In the first two weeks, more than 200 companies joined, significantly more than the state’s most optimistic projections,” according to a Hartford Business Journal piece—and Lavoie told the paper he expects signups to blow past 750 in the first year.
• Meanwhile, Kentucky is also getting in on the action. The Kentucky Association of Manufacturers (also an NAM state partner) recently launched its own CONNEX Marketplace installation, which was announced by the governor. KAM CEO Frank Jemley also came to D.C. for the meeting, bringing his own success stories.

Talking the talk: The leaders in D.C. focused on how manufacturers can improve security and resiliency in the supply chain. They also discussed how local and state governments can ease supply chain challenges for businesses.

Security: As the participants observed, the key challenge is “illuminating risk” inside the supply chain, so that companies know what they’re facing.

• They discussed the many types of risks involved in supply chains, including cybersecurity, financial, business continuity, capacity and more.
• What’s next: CONNEX is working to integrate technology that will identify and highlight potential risks in a company’s specific supply chain.

Cooperation: The supply chain functions (or doesn’t) on the strength of manufacturers’ cooperation, from the largest companies to their smallest suppliers.

• Furthermore, competition is not company vs. company, but supply chain vs. supply chain, the participants agreed.
• Small manufacturers might benefit from a coach or guide to walk through the sourcing process so they understand how to remain resilient and competitive, one attendee recommended.
• What’s next: CONNEX is working on a playbook that entities such as manufacturing extension partnerships can use to help coach SMMs through the procurement process.

Progress: Executives from CONNEX reported more than 4,000 suppliers were connected to buyers in 2022, while the platform hosted 396 separate “postings” from manufacturers looking for specific parts or supplies.

The NAM will host another forum this fall where manufacturers will tackle supply chain issues. Contact NAM Senior Director of Member Business Services Anna Chongpinitchai for details. 

Immigrants helped fill worker shortages last year, providing 60% of workforce growth according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data, reports Bloomberg Government (subscription).

The data: “Roughly 1.8 million foreign-born workers joined the labor force in 2022, compared with 1.3 million native-born ones, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data published Thursday.”

• “The nation’s nearly 31 million immigrant workers now make up 18.5% of the labor force, close to a record-high share and above pre-Covid levels.”

Filling the gap: Immigrants are taking more roles in industries experiencing labor shortages, as compared to before the pandemic.

• “Almost 10% of immigrant workers had jobs in construction last year, up from 9.1% in 2019, according to the BLS. The share of foreign-born workers in health-care support occupations also increased.”

The NAM says: “With over 800,000 job openings in manufacturing over the past 12 months, manufacturers know immigration is an essential part of the workforce solution to build a stronger, more competitive America, and that’s why the NAM is unrelenting in leveraging every opportunity to advance our immigration plan ‘A Way Forward’ with key Hill and administration leaders and the press,” said NAM Director of Human Resources and Innovation Policy Julia Bogue.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm supports the Mountain Valley Pipeline, a natural gas project in Appalachia that would provide clean energy “where there’s huge demand for power”—and she defended her position at POLITICO’s energy summit in Washington last week, according to POLITICO (subscription).

What’s going on: “Granholm endorsed the pipeline in a recent letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission,” POLITICO reports.

• At the event, she followed it up by saying, “We know that there is a real desire to have energy security in areas where there’s huge demand for power. We also know that we have got to accelerate investment in clean [energy].”

Why it’s important: Granholm’s support for the pipeline and her comments—which were disrupted by protestors who ran toward the stage shouting their opposition—“underscore the Biden administration’s balancing act in meeting its goals of ending carbon pollution from fossil fuels while acknowledging the continued role of the oil and gas industry in the economy.”

Helping allies: The U.S. has large supplies of natural gas, Granholm told the audience, and it “is going to be ‘a friend’ to its allies,” many of whom have moved away from Russian gas in response to that country’s invasion of Ukraine last year.

The last word: “The NAM supports an all-of-the-above energy approach, including traditional fuels, such as U.S. natural gas,” said NAM Vice President of Energy and Resources Policy Brandon Farris.

• “The proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline is a critical part of our energy future as natural-gas production strengthens energy access for manufacturers while generating billions of dollars in new investments, benefiting local communities and creating well-paying jobs.”
• “The NAM recently hosted Department of Energy Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management Brad Crabtree for a NAM-member briefing on manufacturer priorities and followed up by reaffirming the NAM’s support of U.S. natural gas production and exports.”

G7 leaders are focusing on “de-risking,” but not “decoupling” from China, they said in a joint statement covered by CNBC.

The details: “We are not decoupling or turning inwards,” the statement said. However, “we recognize that economic resilience requires de-risking and diversifying.”

• “We will seek to address the challenges posed by China’s non-market policies and practices, which distort the global economy,” the leaders continued. “We will counter malign practices, such as illegitimate technology transfer or data disclosure.”

Biden concurs: President Biden echoed these sentiments at a press conference on Sunday, emphasizing the need to “diversify” supply chains so that no one country has a monopoly on any essential product.

• “It means resisting economic coercion together and countering harmful practices that hurt our workers,” he continued. “It means protecting a narrow set of advanced technologies critical for our national security.”

In sum: “We stand prepared to build constructive and stable relations with China, recognizing the importance of engaging candidly with and expressing our concerns directly to China. We act in our national interest,” the G7 statement said.

NAM in action: As exemplified by its recent Competing to Win Tour in Europe, the NAM is working to bring business and government leaders together to strengthen the resilience of manufacturers in the United States and our democratic allies in the face of greater uncertainty with respect to China.

The last word: “Manufacturers have consistently called for a rethink of the U.S.–China relationship to boost competitiveness globally,” says NAM Vice President of International Economic Affairs Ken Monahan.

• “The strategy requires collaborating with allies for supply chain resilience, addressing discriminatory Chinese policies and creating trade openings through robust agreements. Yesterday’s announcement highlights the path ahead.”

A record number of employee drug tests are showing positive results for marijuana, The Wall Street Journal (subscription) reports, as legalization becomes more prevalent.

The numbers: “Of the more than 6 million general workforce tests that Quest screened for marijuana in 2022, 4.3% came back positive, up from 3.9% the prior year. That is the largest marijuana positivity rate since 1997.”

More alarming: As many tests can pick up marijuana use from days or weeks prior, a positive test doesn’t necessarily indicate impairment on the job. However…

• “The percentage of employees that tested positive for marijuana following an on-the-job accident rose to 7.3% in 2022, an increase of 9% compared with the prior year.”
• “From 2012 to 2022, post-accident marijuana positive test rates tripled, tracking with widening legalization.”

On the positive side: “Positivity rates last year for certain classes of opioids and barbiturates declined.”

The legal tangle: Differing marijuana regulations across the U.S. have created a headache for employers trying to enact workplace policies.

• That’s why the NAM’s Legal Center hosted a panel on marijuana policy at its first Manufacturing Legal Summit back in November.

Interested in learning more? The next NAM summit, which convenes in-house counsel from manufacturing companies as well as outside experts, will be Nov. 6–7 in Washington, D.C. Registration has just opened, and you can sign up here.

“Making a difference” might be the best description of what Mountaire Farms does. Founded in 1914, the fifth-generation family-owned chicken processing company has a long history of helping its communities thrive.

Mountaire Cares: Through its Mountaire Cares program, the company’s employees are committed to changing lives for the better.

• “The Mountaire Cares program was created to fulfill three main core pillars: how are we faithful to our people, how are we faithful to our communities and how can we look to be faithful to the future,” said Mountaire Cares Director JR LaPearl.

Meals for thousands: One of Mountaire Farms’ biggest events during the year is its Meals for Thousands program, where the company partners with local churches, food banks and nonprofit organizations to provide meals for families in need at Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

The program had humble beginnings 28 years ago, with Roger Marino, who was PR and community relations director at Mountaire, leading the group to provide 300 meal boxes at Thanksgiving. The company has distributed more than 1 million boxes since then.

• For this year’s Easter event, the company’s employees and other volunteers packed 15,000 meal boxes, each of which contained a Mountaire roaster chicken; vegetables; macaroni and cheese; mashed potatoes and gravy; and brownies—enough food to feed a family of four
• “Our employees really enjoy being a part of this effort to give back to the community,” LaPearl said. “What I love about these events is that they bring people together to share love and kindness to one another.”

Read the full story here. 

As the Group of Seven summit begins in Hiroshima, Japan, today, President Biden is expected to announce new sanctions on Russia, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription).

• President Biden’s goal at the summit is likely to be reinforcing the allies’ support of Ukraine as well as their economic defenses against Chinese power.
• This is the summit’s 48th year. The G7 comprises the U.S., Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The details: “The new U.S. sanctions and trade restrictions target goods and services vital to Russia’s military-industrial complex, said a senior Biden administration official who briefed reporters shortly after the president landed in Hiroshima.”

• “They are also aimed at Russia’s ability to extract the oil and natural gas critical to the country’s economy, the official said. Other Western allies will roll out similar new programs, officials said.”

The big picture: Analysts say President Biden—who canceled several international meetings planned for next week to return to Washington for debt talks—faces a difficult task at the meeting: “convincing allies that the U.S. can keep its economic house in order while moving forward on Russia and China,” according to another Journal article (subscription).

The NAM’s moves: During the NAM’s recent “Competing to Win” Tour in Europe, NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons hammered home manufacturers’ support for Ukraine.

• “[T]he most important thing is to support our allies that believe in democracy,” Timmons said during a live Morning Joe interview from Warsaw, Poland. “And American business, I think, can help lead the way to strengthen and support democracy.”

Read more about the NAM’s Competing to Win Tour here, here and here.
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Update: The National Association of Manufacturers has called on congressional leadership to support and advance legislation aimed at reforming the pharmacy benefit manager market in a later dated November 7th. Click here to read the letter. Click here to take action.

Pharmacy benefit managers—companies that were first established to manage the cost of prescription drugs—are contributing to soaring health care costs and driving up the price of medications. These entities cannot go unchecked, and Congress must act, an NAM ad campaign launched Thursday is advocating.

What’s going on: The campaign, which includes both TV and digital ads, calls out PBMs—“middlemen owned by large health insurers”—for pocketing sizeable discounts from drug manufacturers rather than passing on the discounts or rebates to workers or employers.

• “America’s manufacturing workforce has struggled with skyrocketing health care costs driven by insurer-owned PBM middlemen for far too long,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons.
• “Manufacturers are committed to providing quality health care benefits to our employees, so we need reforms to stop insurer-owned PBMs from keeping discounts and driving up prescription drug costs.”

Why it’s important: PBMs emerged in the late 1960s as a way of helping insurance companies and employers contain spending on prescription medications—but their business model has evolved significantly in the past half-century.

• Now just a few PBMs—subsidiaries of bigger health care firms—control up to 89% of the prescription drug market and operate with limited federal oversight.
• And they exert even more control in the industry by steering business toward specific pharmacy networks, frequently ones owned by their parent companies.

Congressional moves: Congress is considering various legislative solutions to address PBM rebate, fee and payment structures.

The last word: “Manufacturers support reforms to the PBM model that increase transparency, ensure pharmaceutical savings are passed from the PBM to workers and plan sponsors and delink PBM compensation from the list price of medication,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “Congress must reform the PBM system so employers can negotiate, compete and achieve profit savings.”

NAM in the news: POLITICO’s Influence newsletter highlighted the NAM’s campaign.

Tell Congress To Reform PBM’s Today